A Different Perspective
by starspangledpumpkin
Summary: Rowena Ravenclaw is putting together a diadem that will make the wearer more knowledgeable. She just needs a key component and a companion to assist her on her quest.


**Author's Note: It is said that a sapphire lies in Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem. However, sapphire was actually the term used regarding lapis lazuli before the terminology changed in the 19th century. It also seems fitting because it is the universal symbol for wisdom and truth which is why it is used in many cultures for royalty.**

 **Also, I considered using middle english but then I read about all the grammar rules and thought, "mm… better not." 'Specially since I only got a week to write this.**

It was a difficult task. Perhaps impossible. However, if Rowena were ever going to make her diadem work then it was pertinent that she do this task. However, it could not be done alone.

Rowena was an intelligent and ambitious woman. Her ambition was nearly on par with Salazar's. If he were to join her then his need for credit would overshadow all of the work she was putting into this. Her belief was that magic should be used as a tool for learning rather than battle like Godric. Bringing him along would be unwise.

It was a proving to be a difficult task to create her diadem. The end goal was to make the user more intelligent. To enhance their knowledge and unlock all the potential in their mind. Those who had wonderful ideas and different ways of learning would be able to understand and articulate what they were seeing.

To aid in this endeavor, she needed sapphire. It was well used in the Near East. Especially in Egypt. The muggles there had no idea what power was in the stones they ground up for paint and other purposes.

Sapphire, when used in the right way, was beneficial for clearing the mind.

Of course she couldn't use any old sapphire. No. What she needed was the Sapphire of Mycenae. Their priests created it and infused it with powers said to come straight from Athena herself. It proved to be too dangerous and was locked away in a nearby mountain behind many traps.

Yes… she needed help. Someone who was powerful yet wouldn't step on her toes…

Her best friend, Helga Hufflepuff, was just the woman for the job.

Donning a dazzling smile, Rowena went down to the kitchens to find a plump witch in yellow and black robes, her auburn hair pulled back into a bun. A smattering of flour marked her cheeks and closer inspection saw the makings of carrot cake with the assistance of a handful of elves to make many of the treat. Helga even managed to find enough sugar for a glaze as well. The children were going to be delighted. One little girl with black hair and grey eyes sat on a clear spot, happily using her finger and tongue to clean a bowl that once held the mixture for some sweetie or another.

"Helga," Rowena called.

"No," Helga replied.

Rowena frowned and scoffed. "Dearest friend, I have said nothing yet. You do not know what I intended."

Helga chuckled incredulously which ended in a snort and Rowena laughed in spite of herself.

"Want a taste, Mummy?" Helena asked, training her big grey eyes on the black-haired witch.

"I shall have none," said Rowena crisply. "And what have I said about proper language and using our hands as utensils?"

Helena sighed and wiped her sticky face with a cloth.

"Incorrect language and improper manners is a poor way to make an impression," she recited. "Proper language and good manners instills the belief of your intelligence in others."

Rowena wondered if her daughter even understood what those words meant.

"Leave the little dearie be," Helga chided, flicking her wand so the recipe could finish itself off. "Let children be children. Now, what was it you wanted? Is it about the—" she dropped her voice and gestured to her head— "the you-know-what?"

"Aye, it is," she confirmed. "I cannot complete this task alone and you, my friend, are just the witch to help me accomplish my task."

Helga sighed and patted an older elf on the head. He squeaked happily and straightened his spine.

"Toly, please see to it that the children receive their dinner in a timely fashion," she said.

"Of course, Mistress Hufflepuff," Toly squeaked. "Toly will keep everything perfect for Mistress."

"You have my gratitude."

The little creature just about swooned before snapping out of it and taking over his duties as Head Elf. Barking out orders and running off to supervise the teams of house-elves who were rescued from abusive homes by sweet Helga.

"Come to my office," said Helga.

"Can I come, too?" Helena begged.

"I do not know," Rowena replied. "Can you?"

"I was using 'can' in its second modal form of asking for permission rather than the implication of whether or not I have the ability to do something," Helena countered.

"Fair," said Rowena, pleased with the witty comeback. "Come along."

Helena grinned and jumped to her feet.

Helga's office was near her dorms and resembled more a shed than an office. There was the constant smell of mulch and dozens of plants decorated the shelves. Gardening tools crowded bins and there was a plump chair on the opposite side of her desk for students who needed to talk. No doubt there was also a sack of baking supplies in here as well. Nothing could cheer up a student more than watching Helga create a tart of strawberries before your very eyes. Especially, when they were picked fresh from the strawberry fields just off to the side of the Forest.

Rowena conjured her own desk chair in order to avoid the indignity of collapsing into the squashed armchair, and delicately sat down. Helga shook her head and smiled as she sat in her own chair.

"What have you found?" she asked.

"The next step in my diadem," Rowena replied feeling just a twinge of excitement. "I can admit that I cannot cast all the enchantments myself. I know what I need. The sapphire of Mycenae."

"Is it not heavily guarded?"

"Aye, it is."

"Is it not incredibly dangerous?"

"Aye, it is."

"But it is a key component?"

"Aye, it is."

"You are my oldest and dearest friend, Rowena," said Helga. "I know you would help me in any endeavor I would wish to pursue. I will help."

"Many thanks, Helga," Rowena sighed. "I feared you might deny."

"And miss an opportunity for adventure?" she said light-heartedly. "I think not! When do we leave?"

"The early hours of morn," Rowena replied, standing up. "It is a long journey and will take me as long to fashion a portkey."

"I will be ready."

Rowena and Helga gracefully landed, the old shoe dropping to the ground. The former stashed it in her satchel and took in her surroundings. The land was barren and all that remained of the citadel was stone and sadly damaged art. It was a pity that something so lovely was left to fade away with time.

Helga clucked her tongue and said, "The Argos did not leave much behind. Do you think…?" her question faded but the implication was clear.

"Nay. It has to be here," said Rowena. She removed a book from her satchel and studied the pages. "Come."

They carefully picked their way down the rocky hill and down to the gates of the abandoned citadel. The lion gates stood high above them. A million thoughts ran through Rowena's mind. Of everything that could await them beyond the gates.

The lionesses turned their eyes on her and growled. Inhaling sharply, she drew her wand and pointed it at them.

"What is it, dear?" Helga asked.

"The lions."

"Yes, they're quite lovely aren't they?" she said. "Better not tell Godric or he'll insist on putting them up above the Entrance Doors."

Could Helga not see that they were ready to pounce? Hurrying along, they paused on the long path to reach what was the palace of the citadel. To the right was a grave circle. To her shock and horror, the ground broke and inferi crawled out.

"We need to run."

The ground rumbled and the path ahead fell away to nothing and lava bubbled up from the cracks.

"I've got a plan to get us through this," said Helga.

"And, pray tell, what is that?" Rowena asked.

Cloth covered her eyes and immediately everything was silenced. The ground stopped rumbling and the inferi stopped screeching. Nothing was clawing at her robes.

"It is all an illusion," said Helga as she securely tied the cloth around her friend's head. "No real danger. I believe there is an enchantment placed that makes whatever you think might happen will become real."

"How did you figure?"

"I thought it unlikely that the Greeks would have inferi on hollowed ground," she said. "So I thought really hard about a large treacle tart. Now, there is a simple treacle tart sitting in our path."

"Oh."

Well, this was embarrassing. How did Rowena not see that? Certainly she could have figured it out. Staying quiet, she let Helga lead her along the path of the great ramp and towards the steps of the palace. She hated not knowing where she was going but it was better than what she thought lied ahead.

Only when they reached the main streets of the city did Helga remove the cloth. Rowena took a deep breath and opened her book.

"I think the words you are looking for are—"

"— thank you, Helga," said Rowena. "It says here that the stone lies underneath the palace." She held up the symbol on the page which was an owl with large eyes standing on a wreath. "We are looking for this marker."

"Brilliant," said Helga. "Onward, yes?"

She nodded in agreement and ascended the steps. They had to be careful so as to not disturb the precious architecture of the city. That and it would seem the sapphire was going to be underground. It just wouldn't do for the whole citadel to collapse.

The palace was dark so the two witches found whatever brackets they could and placed spheres of light in them in hopes it would illuminate what they were looking for.

"Was this actually a palace?" Helga asked.

"No," Rowena replied. "Just a house for a high government official."

Helga hummed and ran a hand over one of the frescos. "I like this… I can imagine one in my Common Room. Perhaps of a meadow with lots of flowers."

"Yes, yes, lovely," Rowena muttered as she scanned the walls for the secret passage.

"What does your book say?"

"In the pursuit of knowledge it is always darkest before the dawn," Rowena replied. "Obviously that means there is something we do not know. The first step to enlightenment as well as learning is admitting you do not know everything. There must be something here that is unfamiliar. Out of place." She furrowed her brow and gasped. "Oh!" She drew her wand and waved it in the air. _"Nox maxima!"_

A shadow fell over every window and all of their lights extinguished. With everything shrouded in darkness they were finally able to see. The tiles in the floor that appeared to be of some sort of mother-of-pearl became a glowing blue in the darkness. The two witches carefully scoured the ground moving deeper and deeper into the dwellings.

"I found it," Helga called.

"Yes," said Rowena. "Brilliant, my friend!"

The owl took up most of the floor. Rowena opened up her book again and clicked her tongue. "There should be a puzzle here. But where is it? Ah-ha!" She on the nearby wall she found illuminated stones, upon further inspection they could be moved.

 _"Alohomora!"_

Rowena whirled around and saw the stone lift away and her plump and pleased friend stick her wand back up her sleeve.

"Yes, right," she said and cleared her throat. "Onward."

The tunnel was dark and cool. A light breeze flowed through it and there was a smell of decay revealing that something once lived there. Or perhaps still did. If the book was accurate there were going to be three tasks that they would have to pass in order to reach the sapphire. The first was outright stated. A gorgon.

Torches illuminated themselves and led the path to a wide cavern littered broken statues of wizards and mortals who tried to pass some still stood up right with looks of horror or surprise. Rowena and Helga conjured mirrors and kept their gaze on the reflection. Magic was difficult to use on gorgons. Hissing resounded through the cavern bouncing off the walls.

 _"Episteme!"_ said Helga.

"— man can get past me," a feminine voice hissed.

"Hello, dearie," said Helga cheerfully. "What's your name?"

"I— what?"

"What?" Rowena echoed.

"Your name," Helga repeated.

"Frona," the gorgon replied uncertainly as if no one had tried to actually talk to her before.

"What a lovely name," said Helga. "Would you like a biscuit?"

Twenty minutes later, Rowena found herself sitting at a table with Helga and Frona. Frona had covered her head with a veil and sipped tea from the set that Helga found the time to pack.

"You just don't understand how hard it is," said Frona holding out her hand for another biscuit which was happily supplied. "So, my ancestor, Medusa, was raped in Athena's temple by Poseidon. Athena has to do something about it but she can't punish Poseidon. So, she gives Medusa a gift so that no man can harm her again. Now, because she and her children are ugly, every man wants to kill them. We are protectors of women you know. Every other day I have to fight off some man."

"I am so sorry to hear that, Frona," said Helga. "You know, if you allow us to pass and we get that sapphire you'll be free to go and live your life. I hear there's a community of gorgons… oh, where are they, Ro?"

"I believe they are in Servia," said Rowena. "I have a map if you would like."

"Well… I suppose," Frona mused. "What are you doing with the sapphire?"

"I am using it to create a diadem of that reveals knowledge to the wearer," Rowena explained. "And the sapphire is one of the key—"

"Very well," said Frona. "Good luck. Thank you for the tea and biscuits. I'll take that map now."

Rowena dug around in her bag and removed a map of Europa. She duplicated it and handed it to Frona who studied it a moment and rolled it up before standing.

"Happy travels," said Helga.

The two women moved on while the gorgon left the cavern. The corridor sloped down until they reached another cavern. This one was most definitely a puzzle with pictograms on the floor. Rowena held out a hand to stop Helga from moving forward and stooped down to pick up a stone. She tossed it out onto the floor and it landed on one of the stones which immediately collapsed.

"Okay, so there is definitely a pattern here," said Rowena. "The pictograms don't look quite greek. Perhaps it's a dialect. Or cuneiform!"

Helga shouldered her satchel and hiked up her skirt. She hopped on one of the stones which didn't collapse under weight. Humming one of the songs her first years sang while they play in the courtyards, she hopped onto another stone. Gobsmacked, Rowena looked an saw the symbol that marked the entrance to the tunnel and nearly slapped her forehead. Of course it was the picture. She followed Helga and they both made it safely across the stones.

"One final puzzle," said Rowena.

When they entered the next chamber, whatever was supposed to be the trap had broken down and cluttered the floor. Even so…

 _"Revelio,"_ said Helga.

Both witches ducked as knives swung out. The danger passed, they walked across and finally found the stone. It was nestled into the fresco on the forehead of a goddess who was most likely Athena.

"We did it, my friend!" Helga cheered.

"We did it," repeated Rowena prying it out of the wall.

Why wasn't she happy about this? She prided herself on her intelligence but it was Helga who found her way through all of the obstacles. Sweet, simple Helga… who looked at things a different way than her, Godric, and Salazar. The quest to find a component for her diadem and she was just along for the ride.

If ever asked, Rowena would deny everything and just say they walked in and took it and Helga was too humble to take credit.

She looked down at the oval stone in her hand. It was a brilliant blue with bits of bronze coloring in it. Absolutely beautiful and she could feel the power lying beneath the surface. Her diadem was going to work. It had to. And she would finish it herself.


End file.
